Biography
Main Source's influence on hip-hop remains difficult to measure, anchored above all by the landmark status of Breaking Atoms in 1991 and by the subsequent work Large Professor and K-Cut pursued beyond the group. The New York trio, built around MC and producer Large Professor (Paul Mitchell) alongside the twin DJs and producers K-Cut (Kevin McKenzie) and Sir Scratch, formed in 1989 and issued its Wild Pitch debut, Breaking Atoms, two years later—an album widely regarded as essential in any genre. Their beats, paired with Large Professor's incisive lyricism—whether the extended baseball metaphors on the police-brutality track "Just a Friendly Game of Baseball" or the portrayal of romantic disappointment in "Looking at the Front Door"—established a lasting benchmark. While Gang Starr's DJ Premier is often credited with advancing sampling techniques, it was Large Professor and K-Cut who first demonstrated how to fully exploit the SP1200. In addition, the Breaking Atoms cut "Live at the Barbeque" proved instrumental in launching the careers of Akinyele and Nas.
Financial disagreements prompted Large Professor's departure, after which he devoted himself to outside production. K-Cut and Sir Scratch kept the group alive by adding MC Mikey D, resulting in the 1994 release F*ck What You Think. Though the record could not match the impact of its predecessor, it avoided outright artistic shortcomings; nevertheless, limited attention and a three-year gap between albums left it with scant commercial traction. During this period Large Professor accumulated credits for Eric B. & Rakim, Akinyele, Mobb Deep, Nas, and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth. His first official solo project, the 2002 album 1st Class, ultimately proved underwhelming.
Financial disagreements prompted Large Professor's departure, after which he devoted himself to outside production. K-Cut and Sir Scratch kept the group alive by adding MC Mikey D, resulting in the 1994 release F*ck What You Think. Though the record could not match the impact of its predecessor, it avoided outright artistic shortcomings; nevertheless, limited attention and a three-year gap between albums left it with scant commercial traction. During this period Large Professor accumulated credits for Eric B. & Rakim, Akinyele, Mobb Deep, Nas, and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth. His first official solo project, the 2002 album 1st Class, ultimately proved underwhelming.
Albums
